The Klingon Dictionary

Details

Title :

The Klingon Dictionary

Writers :

Marc Okrand

Published :

1985

Publisher :

Pocket Books

ISBN :

067174559X

Rating :

Editions :

There are two editions.

Review

When it comes to Star Trek, there's being obsessed and then there is being obsessed. Although phrases concerning stones and greenhouses spring to mind, I will nevertheless say here and now that the Klingon Dictionary is perhaps the most massively impressive monument to Trek obsession that there is, or that there ever could be for that matter. Mark Okrand has quite literally created an entire new and completely fictional language, complete with rules of grammar, pronunciation guide and a set of complex words and expressions to illustrate the nature of Klingon culture. There's even a Klingon phrase book with eternally useful phrases such as "surrender or die!"

It absolutely blows my mind that there are people in this world who speak Klingon. For a man who came out of two years of French lessons knowing about fifteen words, this is an impressive feat. I even heard one guy who was a linguist and raised his baby son to use both Klingon and English interchangeably - apparently the kid ended up naturally using more and more english because at the time Klingon just didn't have enough words for everyday things (experimenting on your own kid. How cool is that!)

To be honest, I can't ever see myself learning Klingon. I can't really see myself sitting down and reading through a Klingon book. But this book is kinda like a nuclear weapon - you may never want to use it, but you're glad that it's out there, just in case you need it.